Domestic violence in the child protection system: Seeing double

As we recognize the child welfare implications of domestic violence, comple x issues of practice and policy result. Training child protective workers o n domestic violence is a necessary but insufficient response. We are at an early point in our learning about the dynamics of family violence seen as b oth a child welfare and a woman's issue. Best practice for families where c hildren and women are both at risk benefits from "seeing double," drawing f rom the knowledge, and values of both a child protective and a women's advo cacy perspective. To this end, on-going collaborative relationships with th e opportunity for case-specific consultation are important. This paper draw s on experience with the Domestic Violence Unit of the Massachusetts Depart ment of Social Services to illustrate issues that arise as we work toward c hild protective practices that attend to the rights and safety of children and their nonabusive parent.